EA explains BF3 Xbox 360 disc split

By Robert Purchese Published 13 September, 2011

What's on each?

Eurogamer has discovered what is on each of the two Xbox 360 Battlefield 3 DVD discs.

"Battlefield 3 for Xbox 360 ships on two discs with endless hours of spectacular high-definition gameplay," EA told us this afternoon.

"Disc one features the stunning multiplayer, co-op levels and HD installation content.

"Disc two features the superb single-player campaign."

The PS3 version of Battlefield 3 will come on one, larger capacity, Blu-ray disc.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (70) Latest comment 8 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • BSMR #1 8 months ago

    What happened to all the Battlefield content added over the weekend? The videos and images appear to have been removed, but you've re-added one of the vids above?

    Or am I being stupid? That's quite likely.

  • Brownie-uk7 #2 8 months ago

    I heard that PS3 will only get 1 disc.

    But which one will we get? Fingers crossed for the MP one!!

  • MaxHughes #3 8 months ago

    As expected Co-op and MP on disc and SP on the other. Good call in my opinion.

  • Benno #4 8 months ago

    Seems a perfectly fair split

    Any chance I could just have disc one and pay half as much?

  • PYF #5 8 months ago

    Like how they've kept multiplayer and singleplayer on separate discs, so those playing either one don't have to swap mid-session.
    It's good to see some decent forward planning for once.

  • patchbox360 #6 8 months ago

    explain the lack of console footage of this so called MW3 beater, no more hyped, vamped up pc trailers.

  • sheldipez #7 8 months ago

    As one who couldn't care less about MP hopefully see some uber cheap single player only copies of BF3 floating about ebay then

  • geeza2020 #8 8 months ago

    What, pray tell, is "HD installation content"?

    Is it just the ability to install the game to the Hard Drive, like, errr, all other 360 games?

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #9 8 months ago

    That content had to be taken down, BSMR. That video above was one of them, but it doesn't work because it's offline. I shouldn't have put in the article, but it's not always very clear what is on and offline on our system.

    I hope the tech team don't track me down.

  • patch #10 8 months ago

    Please excuse my ignorance, but what do they mean by HD installation content? I take it the single player DVD is stand alone, in that I don't have a mandatory HD install before I can play the single player game?

  • Donaldthescotishtwin #11 8 months ago

    Pretty unnecessary perhaps to much used up space on disk 1?

  • cnlfailure #12 8 months ago

    Does disc three include the [insert superlative] behind the scenes featurette?

  • Lunastra78 #13 8 months ago

    Endless hours of spectacular disc-swapping - Coming soon to the beautiful XBox360 in your gorgeous living room.

  • bratmandu #14 8 months ago

    I remember when more discs was a good thing, ah the sweet innocence of the early ps1 days...

  • jablonski #15 8 months ago

    Disc 1: BF3
    Disc 2: MW3

    Why can't we all just get along?

  • Mayhem64 #16 8 months ago

    Developers in "good idea" shocker regarding having to split a game onto more than one DVD...

  • andytheadequate #17 8 months ago

    Anyone want to go splits on this? I will have the MP half, you can have the SP half...

  • andytheadequate #18 8 months ago

    @ap3xx- there were tonnes of free maps on BC2. Oasis, Harvest Day, plus the different game modes on the same maps, which usually played out completely different (e.g. Laguna Presa conquest is a lot different to laguna presa rush map)

  • midnight_walker #19 8 months ago

    It would make sense that the HD install content is there so that you don't just see loads of Disc 2s floating around eBay.

    Although how does this affect Core/Arcade Xboxers?

  • BBIAJ #20 8 months ago

    So Eurogamer didn't "discover" anything, you were told this, it's not like you unearthed it.

  • Raptaur #21 8 months ago

    Actually that sound pretty sweet.

    Having the ability to have one person playing away on the single player, while anther can enjoy the multiplayer from buying only one copy of the game
    Edited by Raptaur at 13/09/11 @ 16:17

  • dr_zoidthrob #22 8 months ago

    I'd buy a £25 single-player only disc.

    Actually, that could be a useful thing - if someone doesn't want the single or multiplayer disc, they could just flog it to someone on here that does.

    Bagsy a single-player one!!

  • Timotei #23 8 months ago

    @BBIAJ

    Don't be a dick. Discover means to learn, among other things. EG learned the reason.
    Edited by Timotei at 13/09/11 @ 16:22

  • Syrette #24 8 months ago

    @BBIAJ; You should probably read up on the definition of the word 'discovered', and perhaps stop being so pointlessly pedantic whilst you're at it.

  • mcreddie #25 8 months ago

    Not to mention the superb and stunning amounts of screen tearing to look forward to.

    It's all about the PC version IMO.

  • -cerberus- #26 8 months ago

    @BBIAJ #23: Oh, you know how it goes. History books still say Christopher Colombus discovered America, despite people already living there...

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #27 8 months ago

    Just quizzed EA on the "HD installation" comment, thinking they might have meant "HDD installation".

    But they didn't. It's definitely "HD installation content", as in "hi-definition".

  • des #28 8 months ago

    "What happened to all the Battlefield content added over the weekend? The videos and images appear to have been removed, but you've re-added one of the vids above?"

    Damage control from Dice/EA
    Youtube suffered the same fate but you can probably find that footage somewhere.

  • KayJay #29 8 months ago

    I expect the install on disc one activates in some way the 2nd disc.
    I.e. You will need both disc's to play etc. Somehow. :/

  • Daeltaja #30 8 months ago

    Strangely enough, it sounds like were getting way more value for money now (Xbox owners!)

    Looking forward to this.

  • Darren #31 8 months ago

    If ever you need proof that Battlefield's multiplayer takes priority over its single players it's the revelation that Disc 2 holds the latter rather than Disc 1 as you'd expect. ;)

  • Cjail #32 8 months ago

    @Brownie-uk7

    Sir you are a genius!

  • richarddavies #33 8 months ago

    When I was younger craploads of cd games were on multiple discs. Why is it now suddenley big news when games are coming out on more than 1? Are people just getting lazier?

  • kingcrowbar #34 8 months ago

    Is this coming with Online-Pass and therefore both discs will be tied to the one gametag?

  • Timotei #35 8 months ago

    @Bertie

    That's really not much help towards explaining it, dude.

  • Scopeh #36 8 months ago

    @Brownie-uk7

    I see what you did there.

  • MattyD #37 8 months ago

    The multiple discs thing is utterly artificial on Microsoft's part. Their developer-publisher agreements are designed in such a way as to strongly discourage multiple disc games simply because they don't want Sony being able to crow about how their console only needs one disc due to BR having more storage capacity.

    If it was just the PC version that came on multiple discs nobody would care, it's not that unusual.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #38 8 months ago

    Yep, I'm still unclear on the HD installation bit. 'High Definition' makes even less sense than 'Hard Disk'?

    The standard 360 installs are just ISOs on to the hard disk and wouldn't require "HD installation content".

    So it's more than likely similar to Forza 3 where you actually INSTALL stuff from the second disc. If that's the case then that's a pretty important bit of news (compared to the usualy disc swapping fan bait) and could do with clarifying.

    If that's the case then it's confusing that they're calling it High Definition installation content rather than just installation content? (if Bertie is correct).
    Edited by SpaceMidget75 at 13/09/11 @ 17:11

  • Ryze #39 8 months ago

    ^ Yes, it looks like that. I expect that there's possibly a load of hi-res textures on the MP disc, that can be installed to the hard drive to improve the visuals, allowing the game to stream from HDD and DVD simultaneously.

    If this content is not installed, then I guess that the textures will all come from 1 disc, and will be highly compressed. Possibly.

    The other possibility is that there is a token/fake piece of install data that is tiny but essential in order to run the game, and can fit on ANY memory device.

    This would be the 'DRM' that would prevent people from eBaying their other disc.

    Regardless - move along, nothing to see here.
    Edited by Ryze at 13/09/11 @ 17:21

  • miiiguel #40 8 months ago

    English is not my first language, but even I can see that they were strugling to come up with an adjective later in the press release and came up with "High Definition"... . They used: Endless hours; spectacular; stunning; supberb, then some one probably said fuck it can't come up with more crap...: "high definition"!

    It's no xfiles dudes.
    Edited by miiiguel at 13/09/11 @ 17:17

  • YoungPayters #41 8 months ago

    its a sign of the times when the MP is one disc one while the single player campaign is on the second.

  • Weezer #42 8 months ago

    'Anyone want to go splits on this? I will have the MP half, you can have the SP half...'

    Yeah, you're on. My online experiences are generally over faster than my sexual ones. And they're pretty fucking quick these days...

  • Timotei #43 8 months ago

    Ha, very good Weezer.

  • Negotiator1 #44 8 months ago

    Who cares, just tell me if the PC version is gamepad enabled, xbox 360 controller to be exact.

  • RodHull #45 8 months ago

    Apparently Mass Effect 3 is going to have a much more sensible split like this too. Disc 1 will contain the main game, whereas Disc 2 will be 8 gigs of awesome planet scanning and mineral excavation.

  • El_Armonista #46 8 months ago

    I think the amount of hyperbole in that quote from EA is really rather sweet.

    Well done whoever was responsible for it, you made me smile at a press release.

  • dalealstick #47 8 months ago

    What if you get an invite while playing singleplayer? hilarious haha

  • eviroboy #48 8 months ago

    EA's explanation of BF3 being split over two Xbox 360 discs says it all really. Disc TWO is the single player portion of the game. DISC TWO! Fucking joke.

  • RodHull #49 8 months ago

    "EA's explanation of BF3 being split over two Xbox 360 discs says it all really. Disc TWO is the single player portion of the game. DISC TWO! Fucking joke."

    Eh? Not sure why you're so peeved about this. The battlefield series has always been a multiplayer game first, and single player game second. This has been the case since 1942. Or maybe it was 2002, I forget.
    Edited by RodHull at 13/09/11 @ 20:39

  • NewbieZilla #50 8 months ago

    Disc 2 is the campaign? WTF?

  • Quak #51 8 months ago

    I'll decide whether to preface anything with "superb" and "stunning". You just tell me what content is on each disk. Ok?

  • andrewsqual #52 8 months ago

    You people are idiots. Clearly because Disc 1 has the multiplayer and "HD installation content", this is the disc they want people to put in their 360's first because the "HD installation content" is MANDATORY. Just think of the Forza 3 second disc that had all the stuff that wouldn't fit on a DVD except it was optional. Did you really think that the Battlefield 3 Engine and the game assets would fit on a shitty 6.9gb DVD (unless this game makes use of the new 7.9gbs of DVDs like God of War 2 did on the PS2, a 12 year old console). Wow dvd really is ancient.

  • 32768Colours #53 8 months ago

    Interesting that the first disc contains the multiplayer elements. Interesting because I usually view that as a the secondary element of a game.

    Guess it shows where their priorities lie. Sadly...

  • bdc #54 8 months ago

    OH YES. THE SEQUEL TO MULTIPLAYER ONLY BATTLEFIELD 1 AND BATTLEFIELD 2 HAS MULTIPLAYER ON THE FIRST DISC. COLOR ME FUCKING SURPRISED.

    You muppets.

  • Syrette #55 8 months ago

    @32768Colours

    You're not aware that Battlefield has always been a MP first, SP second franchise?

    In fact till recently it didn't even have a proper SP element.

  • chessboxer #56 8 months ago

    The disc orientation would be surprising if this was a Bad Company title which heavily marketed the SP campaign over the MP (this did change with BC2 though), but as this is a main Battlefield title, it shouldn't be surprising to anyone who has any idea of what Battlefield games have always been about.

    I'll be playing mine all from one Blu-ray disc as I prefer to play on my PS3 instead of my PC nowadays.

  • The_Jarmez #57 8 months ago

    Anyone who's surprised that multiplayer is on disc 1 clearly hasn't been paying attention.

  • Spong #58 8 months ago

    A two-disc split? Excellent stuff. Now, if only they can pull their finger out and separate the single-player and multiplayer completely, so I don't have to pay for multiplayer content that I'm never gonna use, then everything would be perfect. It's the way to go.

  • BeachGaara #59 8 months ago

    Stunning
    Superb
    Magnificent
    Excellent
    Spectacular

    Press resleases are such garbage.

    Plus it isn't HD, get your facts straight stupid press man.

  • Syrette #60 8 months ago

    Marketing guy at EA uses highly positive adjectives to describe game shocker. It's almost like he's trying to help sell a product or something...


    And I find it hard to comprehend that people would buy a Battlefield title for the single-player element. To each their own though...

  • BeachGaara #61 8 months ago

    Superb single-player element.

    And the adjective overload makes it sound like they're overcompensating.

    Oh wait I'm sorry; the brilliant adjective way good overload of awesome makes it splendiferously sound like they're cock-smashingly overcompensating greatwowness superb.

    Either that or somene in the marketing dept. has been told he'll be out of a job soon if he doesn't up his game.

  • Bravestinsane #62 8 months ago

    Well at least logic wins and they split up the content.

    Still its sad that MS will charge them for being on 2 discs, punishing developers for trying to give the consumer a larger game.

    37/60

  • HeNiCiDe1988 #63 8 months ago

    interesting, shows the difficulties of the 360 suppose, but they probably removed the stuff BSMR if they got told too.

  • RevanNL #64 8 months ago

    So if you buy this second hand only one disc will work unless you give EA money?

  • Lunatic4ever #65 8 months ago

    the stunning multiplayer and the superb singleplayer...

    does he HAVE TO say it like that? ....

  • dickothe1st #66 8 months ago

    If there's a separate disc for single player does that mean the campaign will be worth the price of admission? Honestly couldn't care less about multiplayer shooters right now.

  • DwarfyP #67 8 months ago

    @NewbieZilla

    Face it, Battlefield is a multiplayer game first and foremost. It makes sense to have disc 1 as the disc that everyone wants the most.

  • HoriZon #68 8 months ago

    @RevanNL

    Yes EA games require an EA pass for them so you can play MP online.

    They make nothing for 2nd hand games so this is there way to get a bit back.

  • 32768Colours #69 8 months ago

    @Syrette

    I was not aware, no.

    However if you can appreciate, based upon my ignorance, it struck me as indicative of the general direction gaming is taking and how I much prefer single player campaigns to multiplayer.

    Given that the focus is on multiplayer, I can see why they would have taken that decsion, so fair enough :)

  • cyber_nicco #70 8 months ago

    "Who cares, just tell me if the PC version is gamepad enabled, xbox 360 controller to be exact. "

    If not, try a very nifty little program called Xpadder. It allows you to map keyboard strokes, mouse movements, etc. to your Xbox controller.